Mewtwo's Lament
by Mewtwo-TheLoneShadow
Summary: Mewtwo lives peacefully in a cave hidden deep within Viridian forest, thwarting crimes by Humanity and spending time with those he has come to call his friends... But someone isn't content to let a being as powerful as Mewtwo roam freely in this world...
1. The Shadowed Avenger

**The Shadowed Avenger**

**-**

**-  
**

The sun had set many hours ago on this cold winter's day in Viridian City. The quiet yet often bustling city now lay beneath a blanket of darkness with only the light of the full moon to illuminate its silent streets.

Yet this seemingly peaceful city secretly appears to be in for a shock as two shadowed humanoid figures dart towards the still lit up Pokemon center on the city limits. Both of the two males are dressed in identical black jumpsuits with a large crimson coloured letter R upon their backs.

This symbol bears a dark and sinister warning to all those who view it, for it is the insignia of Team Rocket; A despicable and faceless organisation with a twisted sense of morality dedicated to World domination by the use of Pokemon and other innumerable schemes that threaten to plunge the world as we know it into chaos.

The two Rockets are panting breathlessly as they finally reach the shadowed back alley of the Pokemon center, the taller of the two turns towards his colleague in the darkness as he reaches for the handgun at his waist, his deep guttural voice slightly hoarse from the dry night air as he speaks.

"Joe? You ready?"

The shorter of the two Rockets, now known as Joe, glances up upon hearing his colleague's words, reaching for his own gun strapped to his left calve as he responds in a cockney accent most likely obtained from life in Celadon city in the east.

"Yeah. Lead the way, Mack."

The taller Rocket, Mack, allows a small conspiratory smirk to play across his lips as he simply nods in response, shuffling silently along the dark brick wall of the Pokemon Center whilst avoiding two large grey steel dumpsters.

Joe seems slightly less at ease than his companion as he wordlessly follows on behind Mack, his gloved hands trembling as he tightly clutches his weapon. Holding his gun close to his head as he glances anxiously around himself, trying not to jump at the tiniest of sounds.

Joe's all too apparent unease quickly catches the attention of his taller colleague as Mack takes a quick look behind to check up on him, Mack's lips quirking upwards in a semi-amused semi-exasperated grin as he stops and fully turns around in order to face Joe completely. Mack's voice managing to sound both amused and mocking at the same time.

"You're not still worried about that 'Shadowed Avenger' shit are ya, Joe? Come on, Buddy. It's all a load of bull. There ain't no proof that the guy even exists!"

Joe stops infront of Mack with what can best be described as an offended yet clearly anxious look upon his young face, his fear betraying his youth of only twenty one years of age as he pipes up once again.

"B-But Mack. Everyone's talkin bout 'im! They say that he's nowt but a shadow! That you can fill him full of lead an he'll still keep comin! That his glowing blue eyes'll burn holes through your soul! What if he's real? What if he catches us?"

Mack's previously amused look is replaced by a look of irritation and skepticism as he hears Joe's stammered concerns, his voice becoming heavily laden with sarcasm as he opens his mouth in order speak once more.

"Now you listen and listen well, Joe. There's no 'Shadowed Avenger', alright? And if there is, then I'll shoot him myself! You hear me, Joe?........ Joe?"

Joe doesn't respond to his colleague's words as he is currently staring open-mouthed at something beyond Mack, his face contorted with pure unchecked terror as he emits what can only be described as a squeak of horror whilst he begins to shake uncontrollably.

Mack breaks out in a cold sweat as he feels, _senses_ something in the darkness roughly ten meters behind himself, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he slowly turns his head to the right and looks over his shoulder, all the blood draining from his face as his eyes fall upon what lies in the shadows.

A colossal and vaguely humanoid being is standing silently beneath a faded silver awning with what looks like a long brown leather cloak obscuring most of it's body, the darkness making it impossible to discern it's facial features. Yet there is no mistaking it's eyes, the twin blazing blue irises piercing through the previously impenetrable darkness and striking fear into the hearts of all who witness it, both Human and Pokemon alike.

The blindingly bright blue slits of light narrow as both of the Rockets visibly recoil in horror, a smooth baritone voice resonating deep within the recesses of the men's minds as they both level their respective weapons towards the clearly inhuman being hidden within the darkness.

'_Drop your weapons, Humans..... They cannot harm me......'_

This doesn't dissuade either of the two criminals from opening fire on the cloaked figure mere milliseconds after he finishes speaking. Both Mack and Joe frantically unloading multiple volleys of lead towards the shadowed being in the hopes of killing him as fast as possible.

The lone being however, doesn't move an inch. For every bullet that the rockets fire at him abruptly stops exactly a foot away from him in mid air with almost rhythmical timing.

A deep mocking chuckle fills the minds of the now terrified Rocket grunts as they frantically attempt to reload, fumbling for their spare ammunition clips at their respective waists.

'_You Humans and your guns.... Well, you won't be needing them tonight.....'_

The cloaked figure slowly and calmly raises what appears to be his right hand towards the panicking Rockets with a darkly amused yet unseen smirk upon his lips, his 'hand' becoming engulfed in the same intensely bright blue light that illuminates his eyes as he makes a sweeping motion towards the Rocket grunts just as they finally succeed in reloading their weapons.

Mack and Joe both simultaneously let out shrill and surprisingly high screams of surprise as their guns are torn from their grasp by an invisible force, their respective weapons quickly levitating over to the shadowed creature's right 'hand' where they are crushed together into little more than a singular poorly crafted metal ball with the nails-on-a-chalkboard screech of shearing metal.

The now apparently telekinetic creature looks up from the mangled weapons and back towards the Rockets, who are now frozen to the ground in fear, with an unnoticeable malicious smirk upon his lips, his right arm falling to his side as his voice sounds out within their minds once again.

'_Now.... Are we going to do this the easy way? Or the hard way?'_

The cloaked figure soon receives his answer in the form of two extremely loud and strangely feminine screams as the two Rockets take to their heels and begin to sprint away from him at a speed that, all things considered, is astonishing.

The shadowed being lets out a heavy sigh as he slowly shakes his head from side to side, the blazing blue light of his eyes slowly diminishing to reveal two slitted feline lavender irises as he opens his mouth in order to mutter audibly for the first time in the brief yet action packed conversation he had shared with the Rocket grunts.

"_Why do I even bother to ask that? They __**always**__ choose the latter......"_

The figure quickly drops into a crouch as he finishes speaking, building energy in his powerful legs before he launches himself into the air with a mighty kick-off, landing gracefully upon the flat gravel roof of the Pokemon Center in another crouch before he breaks into a sprint which would make a Rapidash proud.

Meanwhile, Mack and Joe are scrambling over the steel mesh wire fence that separates the Pokemon Center from the Poke' (Pokemon) Mart opposite, both shaking so much that it hinders their efforts rather than aids them as Mack tries to push Joe over the top of the seven foot high fence. Yet, despite fearing for his life, Joe risks whispering hoarsely to Mack.

"I-I thought ya..... Said he wasn't.... Real?"

Mack doesn't even bother to shoot him a reproachful glare as he finally succeeds in pushing Joe over the fence, quickly scrambling up the fence himself as he whispers angrily back to him.

"Shaddup and.... Keep moving!"

Mack abruptly freezes in place as Joe lets out a sudden gasp of both surprise of horror, and following Joe's gaze to the roof above, Mack can't help but do the same as his gaze locks with the darkly amused lavender irises of their pursuer.

The fabled 'Shadowed Avenger' is crouched atop of the edge of the Poke' Mart with his long brown leather cloak billowing wildly out to his immediate right in a sudden gust of bitterly cold north-westerly wind. His features however, are still as impossible to discern as before. This is due to the fact that he has somehow enveloped his entire body in what appears to be actual shadow, which, now blatantly obvious to the two terrified Rocket grunts, is probably how he got his title.

The cloaked figure's smooth baritone voice is barely a hiss within the recesses of Mack and Joe's minds as he utilizes his telepathy in order to speak once again.

'_You cannot escape me.....'_

This is the last thing that Mack remembers before the 'Shadowed Avenger' suddenly drops on him from the sky in a flurry of shadows and the wild billowing noise of the shadow enveloped figure's leather cloak filling his ears.

Joe lets out a terrified scream that would wake the dead as he witnesses what he believes to be his fellow Rocket's fate, turning on his heel and making for the fields of long grass that surround Viridian City in a blind panic whilst crying out and yelling for help.

"**Help me! **Oh God, please! **HELP!!!**"

Joe is sent sprawling as he trips over the rocky ledge that signifies the limits of Viridian city, landing in a heap on the ground beside a large nearby oak tree. He lets out a low groan of pain as stars dance before his eyes, before he is brought back to the present with a bang as he suddenly remembers what's going on. He rolls over as fast as he possibly can whilst he simultaneously begins to edge towards the only cover available, the oak tree.

Joe's heart feels as if it will burst from his chest as he presses himself back against the oak tree, his terrified eyes darting everywhere as he tries to locate the urban legend known as the 'Shadowed Avenger'. Though the aforementioned being is nowhere to be seen in the field on this cold winter night.

"H-He's gone.... Oh, thankyou God..... Oh thankyou, thankyou, thankyou......"

Joe slowly rises to his feet as he props himself up against the sturdy trunk of the oak tree, trying to slow the rapid beat of his heart and the swiftness of his breathing without success as his hands visibly tremble. Yet nothing can describe the horror that envelops his very soul as that eerily familiar smooth baritone voice resonates softly within the recesses of his mind once again.

'_It may be a Human cliché to say this, but nevertheless it seems appropriate to say; you can run, but you can't hide....__'_

The once again petrified Rocket doesn't even have the time to turn his head before he feels himself rammed against the trunk of the oak tree with bone breaking force and a painfully tight constriction around his neck that leaves him barely able to breathe. When Joe finally regains enough sense to see he finds the large right 'hand' of the 'Shadowed Avenger' is wrapped around his throat and that he is being held roughly four feet off the ground against the tree, revealing just how unnaturally tall the so called 'Urban Legend' really is. Yet Joe has very little time to ponder this fact as he rasps out what may be his final words whilst looking into the narrowed lavender irises of the cloaked figure.

"Yo-You can't.... Be.... Re-Real..... I wo-won't..... Tell you.... An-Anything......"

The 'Shadowed Avenger' let out a low mocking chuckle upon hearing the young Rocket's spirited, if pathetic, words of disbelief and defiance. A vaguely amused yet almost sadistic smirk gracing his shadow concealed lips as he opens his mouth in order to communicate vocally rather than with his telepathy. His deep masculine voice's tone chilling the criminal to the bone whilst his words fill Joe with a cold dread. Though it is neither of these that cause the criminal to give in to panic and despair…. It is the blindingly intense blue light that once again lights up the dark figure's slitted lavender irises that finally breaks the young man's spirit.....

"_Oh but I am..... And you will.....__"_

_

* * *

_

Several hours later, when the sun peeks over the horizon in the east, two Viridian Police officers are both simultaneously stupefied and amazed to find two unconscious Team Rocket thugs chained to the front of the Police Station with titanium restraints. Both in perfect health aside from some minor injuries, mostly cuts and bruises.

The Rocket thugs are both brought in for questioning where they both claim to have been attacked by the elusive being known as the 'Shadowed Avenger', and then are placed in separate cells awaiting trial.

* * *

Meanwhile, several miles to the north in Viridian Forest, at the mouth of a particularly treacherous cave overlooking the city, stands the urban legend himself; The 'Shadowed Avenger'. His carefully woven shadow concealment slowly fading away into nothingness until it vanishes altogether, fully revealing the dark figure in all his glory.

He appears to be a large six-foot-seven bipedal feline, with a mainly pale grey body, a pronounced purple stomach, a long muscular purple tail, a feline head with horn-like ears and a secondary neck tubule, and large paws instead of hands, with thick bulb-like digits for fingers.

A flicker of a smile ghosts across his lips as he thinks upon the nickname the Humans have bestowed upon his shadow cloaked self, uttering a low chuckle whilst slowly shaking his head from side to side as he turns and begins to walk into the cave that he has come to call home, muttering almost inaudibly under his breath as the rocks close up the entrance behind him under the influence of his telekinetic abilities.

"_The 'Shadowed Avenger'? That's even worse than Mewtwo……"_


	2. No Respite, Even in Sleep

**No Respite, Even in S****leep**

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**-**

Pain.... Mind numbing, endless and unyielding agony was all that Mewtwo could feel as he lay upon the sodden yet blackened and burnt pavement beneath his broken and exhausted form, heavy golf ball sized raindrops matting his bloodied pale grey fur as he lay sprawled against the destroyed pavement in what felt like a pool of his own blood.

'_I.... I must.... Rise....... __I-It can't..... End like this..... I must.... Find the strength......'_

Mewtwo's barely coherent thoughts were interrupted however, as a colossal 10'6 quadruped form loomed over his prone form from his immediate left, dwarfing Mewtwo and casting him into it's immense shadow as a fork of lightning streaked through the dark sky, momentarily illuminating the giant figure yet also blinding the grievously wounded psychic feline.

The enormous quadruped was revealed to be some sort of finely grey furred equine-type creature by what glimpses Mewtwo managed to see through the haze of white spots currently dancing past his vision, some sort of faint golden light radiating from it's apparently horse-like form.

Mewtwo uttered a low groan as he slowly began to rise, his lips parting in preparation to speak as he planted his large paws either side of his lacerated and battered feline form, yet whomever the colossal figure was didn't give Mewtwo a chance to speak as it opened it's own mouth in order to speak, it's booming and almost ethereal voice somehow audible despite the hurricane conditions wreaking havoc on what appears to be downtown Celadon city.

"**You truly are an abomination, Clone..... No Pokemon should possess the powers that you wield..... I gave you the option to save yourself, yet you spurned my offer of redemption..... Choosing instead to pit your strength against my own**** in a final futile act of defiance..... And now, you shall die by my hooves.... Make your peace, Clone.... For Giratina shall decide your fate in the next world!"**

And with that said, the enormous equine reared back onto it's hind legs, drawing itself up to almost double it's original height as a horrified yet decidedly feminine scream echoed out into the night, the voice sounded oddly familiar to Mewtwo as he attempted to turn, leap, evade, anything to avoid the motorcycle-sized golden hooves currently poised above his partially seated form.

"MEWTWO!!!! NOOOO!!!!!! You bastards! Why can't you see this is wrong?!?!?"

Yet Mewtwo found himself powerless to move, run or even turn to locate the source of the scream as the giant equine brought his hooves down upon him in a 'Stomp' attack of unequallable power.

Mewtwo threw his head back as the mighty hooves descended upon his lacerated and bloodied feline form, a final colossal roar of anguish and defiance erupting from his lips, causing the ground to shake beneath his feet as that same feminine voice let out a frenzied scream into the storm-ridden night once again.

"MEWTWOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

* * *

"_NO!!!!"_

Mewtwo's panicked scream reverberated throughout his small subterranean dwelling as he lurched forward into in a seated position upon his king-sized stainless steel bed, hurling the silken purple sheets against the rocky limestone wall opposite with a sudden yet mercifully tiny burst of telekinetic energy.

Mewtwo's slitted lavender irises were wide and fully dilated in the relative darkness of the small cave as he desperately tried to slow the rapid pounding of his heart against his ribcage, his broad chest rising and falling at an accelerated rate in time with his ragged breaths whilst the disturbing and eerily realistic nightmare flashed before his eyes once again.

'_What in the name of all creation was that....? Was it.... Just a dream.....?__ Nothing more than an amalgamation of my hopes and fears buried deep within my psyche?'_

The considerably disturbed psychic Pokemon ran his large and currently shaking left paw over his face as he closed his eyes and took in a deep calming breath, feeling his fine pale grey fur to be matted and damp with cold sweat beneath his thick bulbous fingertips.

'_Just a dream...... Nothing more........'_

Mewtwo repressed a brief shudder as he recalled the colossal equine type Pokemon standing over his fallen and wounded form, the lightning partially illuminating it's fearful yet awe inspiring features before it ended his life with its golden hooves.

The genetically enhanced clone slowly turned to his right and rose from his bed, feeling the familiar cool sensation of smooth limestone beneath the pads of his feet as he glanced towards the small digital clock upon his bedside table, groaning irritably when he saw the dull red figures of 6:37am shining up at him. He had only gone to bed just a little under an hour ago! His mattress, 'borrowed' from a home goods store in Celadon city, offered a soft exhale of trapped air as it was freed of Mewtwo's considerable weight.

'_Dream or not..... I'm not going to get any more __sleep today.....'_

The obviously stressed psychic Pokemon sighed as he looked around his temporary home with a weary glance, the small yet oddly homely limestone cave was a perfect 10'15 rectangle with a ceiling that was just about seven feet from the floor, ideally suited then for Mewtwo's considerable 6'7 height.

Against the furthest wall from the concealed entrance and exit of the cave was Mewtwo's bed, a small wooden bedside table sat beside it to the left which Mewtwo had crafted himself from a fallen oak tree. On the wall to the immediate left of the entrance was a heavyset wooden door that led into a small yet surprisingly hygienic bathroom with a fully functional toilet, bath and shower built into the limestone itself.

The only other furniture in the sparsely decorated cave, besides the light bulb hanging from the ceiling, was a large 6'5 wooden wardrobe made from, yes you guessed it, oak, on the right of Mewtwo's bed, which contained the equipment and faded brown leather cloak of Mewtwo's alter ego, the newly named 'Shadowed Avenger'.

'_Honestly.... And I thought my own name was unoriginal..... Humans, I'll never understand them.....'_

With another weary sigh Mewtwo slowly strode towards the wardrobe and pulled it open with a barely audible grunt, wordlessly donning his infamous brown cloak and checking everything that he would need was in place before he shut the wardrobe doors and took a step backwards, taking on a ready stance as he closed his lavender irises and focused his psychic powers, mumbling aloud to himself as a barely detectable blue light gave his fine pale grey fur an otherworldly and alien glow.

"_I never did like this part....." _

The seemingly endless darkness that blanketed Mewtwo's home seemed to shimmer for a moment before beginning to swirl around Mewtwo's tall feline form in what appeared to be a whirlpool of shadow, this supposedly impossible phenomenon quickly obscured Mewtwo from view and made the peaceful silence in the cave become momentarily eerie and chilling for several seconds until it finally subsided and all was returned to normal.

All aside from Mewtwo, that is. The tall psychic feline now appeared to be a roughly humanoid being composed of nothing but shadow, his long muscular purple tail was no longer visible and his eyes shone like burning blue beacons of light in the darkness when he finally opened them.

With his transformation complete, Mewtwo turned towards the entrance and quickly strode towards it, his already deep baritone voice now lower and coarser than usual as he muttered softly to himself under his breath, quickly unsealing and then resealing the entrance with his psychic abilities on his way out.

"_Time to go to work......" _


	3. Under Cover at Dusk

**Under Cover at Dusk**

**-**

**-**

Yoruichi Shihouin was not an impatient woman, nor was she petty. Well.... At least she liked to think she wasn't petty. Yet even she had her limits regarding patience, and this fancy dress ball was rapidly pushing her towards those limits. In fact, it was only the presence of her friend and mentor, Zaraki at her side that had made this evening tolerable up until now.

Yoruichi was an attractive dark skinned woman of twenty six, standing at an impressive 6'1 with almost catlike golden eyes and long flowing natural purple hair that fell to the small of her back when it wasn't tied up in its usual ponytail, both unusual yet not uncommon traits in this day and age. She was also quite well endowed for a woman of her athletic build, leaving her the unfortunate target of leering men who pretended to be listening to what their twenty year old wives were saying whilst mentally undressing Yoruichi with their eyes.

Being quite the tomboy, Yoruichi had nearly resorted to screaming at a smirking Zaraki when he had offered her the option of wearing a dress to this, in her opinion anyway, complete waste of time and effort, in which all there was to do was to speak with stuck up rich people. Instead, Yoruichi was clad in her usual smart yet still casual wear, consisting of a black undershirt, an orange over shirt, black pants, and light shoes, leaving her forearms bare with black fingerless gloves covering her hands.

Zaraki, on the other hand, was an elderly yet surprisingly lithe Lucario nearly three times Yoruichi's age with piercing crimson eyes and deep cobalt blue fur. At seventy five years old he had considerably outstripped his species average life expectancy of 55-65 years, though his age was obvious, despite his clearly noticeable good health, by the sturdy wooden walking stick he often leant upon when he was feeling particularly tired.

Standing at the average 3'11 for a Lucario, Zaraki's long pointed ears barely made it past Yoruichi's stomach, though the bipedal blue fox hadn't let his height, or lack thereof, stand in his way. Zaraki was the Grandmaster of the 'Aura Academy' far across the sea in a very remote corner of the Sinnoh region. Despite it being a great distance from just about anywhere, the academy was world renowned for its incredible results with beings, both Pokemon and Human alike, that were 'Aura' sensitive. It also didn't hurt that Zaraki was arguably the most powerful Aura wielder alive, so naturally people flocked to him in droves at gatherings and parties..... Much to Yoruichi's chagrin.

Yoruichi was the senior instructor at the Aura Academy, just below Zaraki himself, making the young yet powerful Aura wielder quite famous herself. Zaraki often called her his 'Sub commander', or titles to that effect to tease her. Yoruichi didn't mind, in fact she often teased him back by calling him 'Bossman' and other corny titles, but it did annoy her when he called her that in public. Take now, for example.....

"Something on your mind, Sub Commander?"

Zaraki's tone was light and playful, his deep yet surprisingly youthful voice and good humoured smirk taking years of off him as he glanced up at her, lightly leaning upon his trusty walking stick.

Yoruichi smiled wryly down at him whilst absentmindedly searching the crowded room with her Aura sense, her tone soothing and melodious yet firm and determined as she responded to her long time friend in turn, fighting off another groan of disappointment as she discovered, yet again, that aside from her and Zaraki, there was no one in the room that didn't have a pompous and hugely inflated ego reflected in their Aura.

"No Zaraki, I'm fine thanks..... And I've told you a hundred times or more not to call me that when there's other people around....."

A short and mercifully quiet bark of laughter escaped the canine's lips upon hearing his colleague's response, knowing her dislike of formal gatherings all too well.

"A hundred and three by my count, old friend."

Yoruichi responded by playfully swatting the Lucario's left shoulder with her right hand, flashing him her own good humoured smirk as she allowed her mind to drift off, recalling how she'd ended up at another damned fundraiser to 'Save the Safari Zone'.

'That's right....' She mused. 'We got invited to this torture day last week..... Why couldn't it just have been a challenge to a battle? That's way more fun than chatting with snobs......'

So there they both stood, in the enormous reception area of the newly build and lavishly decorated grand hotel on the eastern side of Viridian city, making polite yet brief small talk with the other guests whilst pledging the Aura Academy's backing and financial support in stopping the deforestation of the Safari Zone. Despite wanting to help protect the Pokemon living in the Safari Zone, Yoruichi couldn't see why they couldn't just send them a check, rather than have to endure four hours of this hell. Glaring at nothing in particular she checked her watch on the back of her left wrist and held back a scream of frustration as the clock face told her it was **only** quarter past eight. The fundraiser didn't finish until ten!

Zaraki followed her gaze and shot her an apologetic look, knowing full well that his colleague was considerably less than pleased with the way the evening was progressing. This sort of thing really wasn't her favourite thing to do in the world, then again, it wasn't his either, but he had the advantage of experience and a great deal more patience than the purple haired woman beside him.

Frowning softly, Zaraki contemplated the notion of informing Yoruichi about the strange Aura signature he had been sensing since they landed here via Pigeot Airways earlier in the day. Whomever he was sensing had an incredible level of Aura, perhaps rivalling or even surpassing that of his own. Yet it was unfocused and unrealized, this being had obviously not had any sort of Aura training in the slightest. Though, with that said, Zaraki could sense no ill intent within this being's overabundant Aura, and greatly looked forward to meeting him or her at the first chance he got. 'Tomorrow though,' he thought to himself. He couldn't go anywhere right now, and even if he could, he could hardly leave Yoruichi here by herself.

'Her reaction to that might just finish me off.......' He thought with a rueful chuckle.

* * *

'_What is it with Team Rocket and going after charities.....? Despicable cowards......'_

These were the kind of thoughts that were at the forefront of Mewtwo's mind as he raced across the rooftops of Celadon City in full 'Shadowed Avenger' guise, topping 140mph in his hurry to reach the 'Grand Hotel' of Viridian City before half past eight.

Mewtwo had spent the entire day in Celadon City, having followed up on the information he had beaten out of the two Rockets the previous night. They had claimed that they were part of Team Rocket's elite corps, experts in the art of stealth and espionage.

'_Right...... And I'm just your average housecat......' _Mewtwo had thought to himself after hearing that, it hadn't taken him long to extract the 'actual' truth from the two terrified men when he had threatened to burn one of them alive and make the survivor eat the charred remains.

The vaguely amused psychic had to choke back a snort of laughter when one of the two passed out whilst the other promptly wet himself, though he had quickly sobered after hearing exactly what the remaining conscious Rocket had to say.

He had learned of several underground Team Rocket bases beneath the bustling streets of Celadon City, though frustratingly, the Rocket couldn't give him an exact location on account of his never having actually been there. Consequently, it had taken Mewtwo the entire day to locate the three bases and render the Rocket members within them unconscious before alerting the Police. Not an easy thing to do when he had to do so by physical means rather than psychic.

'_It's for the best..... I can't use my powers to a great extent__..... I'm sure he's still searching for me..... And he would be able to sense the sudden energy spike beneath Celadon if I had used my powers rather than my fists'_

Pulling himself back to the present Mewtwo put on an extra burst of speed, knowing time was short, he had learned from the now vaporized computers at the third and final Rocket base, that there was a plan being implemented tonight. A special taskforce of Team Rocket's elite operatives had been sent to Viridian earlier in the day, their target was the newly built Grand Hotel at the most easterly point of Viridian City, and the computer had told him that it kicked off at 8:30 tonight.

'_I can't risk teleporting if there's a psychic in their group.....' _

Ordinarily, Mewtwo would have simply teleported there and stopped the crime before it even had a chance to occur, but there was a problem with that approach tonight. These were Team Rocket elites, not your average grunts. It was extremely likely they had a psychic or two in their midst, and teleporting within range of a psychic was like dropping a signal flare into a can of petrol.

'_They'd know that I was there immediately, even if they wouldn't know exactly who I was..... And it could scare them into taking hostages....'_

A hostage situation was exactly what Mewtwo wanted to avoid, such a situation could cause him to have to use his psychic powers to save the aforementioned hostages, and that brought a whole host of new dangers, both to Mewtwo himself and to all of Viridian City.

'_But now is not the time to be thinking of what 'could' happen tonight, now is the time to be thinking what 'will' happen tonight!' _Mewtwo chastised himself, knowing that he needed to concentrate and move faster or he'd never make it in time.

And with that, Mewtwo narrowed his gaze towards Viridian on the horizon, lurching forward in a sudden explosion of speed as he called upon the power of his 'Extremespeed' technique, becoming faster than the Human eye was capable of seeing as he raced towards the rapidly approaching city limits.

'_I just hope I'm not too late.....'_

_

* * *

  
_

Yoruichi yawned for what felt like the thousandth time that evening, desperately trying to look interested in what the speaker at the front of the hall was droning on about, everyone in the room was silent and gazing intently at the tall middle aged man standing upon the podium with rapt attention, save for Yoruichi of course.

'I think I'm losing the will to live.......' She thought to herself glumly as she caught Zaraki smirking up at her from the corner of her eye, successfully resisting the urge to throttle her long time friend as she settled with simply glaring pointedly at him.

Yoruichi had promised Zaraki before they had arrived that she would stay at the fundraiser until it finished at ten, but now she was beginning to regret that promise as the whole purpose of this event seemed to be an experiment to see if someone really could die from boredom!

The purple haired Aura master glanced down at her watch once again, inwardly seething with rage and indignation when the traitorous device told her it was now only 8: 28.

'Dammit Zaraki! Why couldn't we have just given them the money and left?'

Yoruichi's irritable thoughts were unfortunately interrupted when the grand double doors behind the speaker were suddenly blown from their hinges by a small explosion of considerable force, hurling the unfortunate speaker forward and into the crowd as Yoruichi's suddenly highly attentive gaze narrowed towards the blackened frame of the smoking doorway.

Seven shadowy silhouettes quickly became visible to the young Aura master through the smoke as she prepared to fight, each of the figures were of varying sizes and builds yet she wasn't able to discern their features due to the copious amounts of smoke pouring from the doorframe.

'This isn't quite what I had in mind when I said I wanted out of this snorefest!' Yoruichi mentally complained to herself as she glanced down at Zaraki, fully expecting the powerful Grandmaster of Aura to be focused and ready to battle at her side. However, much to her surprise, Zaraki was standing calmly beside her like always, a small and oddly secretive smile gracing his lips as he glanced mildly up at her, oblivious to the shrill screams and cries of the panicking crowd as they attempted to flee, only to end up pressed against the back of the reception area, caged in like rattatas in a trap.

"Stand down, Sub Commander. We won't need to fight today....."

This information nearly floored poor Yoruichi as her gaze alternated between the doorway and her apparently mad friend, her mouth hanging open in stupefaction as the figures in the doorway became clearer, her harsh whisper to Zaraki covered by the growing screams of the frightened crowd.

"Are you getting senile on me, Zaraki?!?"

"Certainly not, and I resent the implication that I'm going insane. Just wait for a moment, Sub Commander, and all will become clear."

Three of the seven were men wearing the traditional black Team Rocket jumpsuit with a large red R stamped upon it's back as they walked through the still burning doorway, each of them armed with a standard issue berretta pistol, another of the seven was a woman wearing a similar yet slightly smaller uniform whilst wielding what appearing to be a small military issue bazooka, heaven knows where they got it! And finally, the remaining figures were revealed to be three burly 5'3 Machamps.

One of the three men, most likely their leader, came forward and stepped up to the disregarded microphone, his heavy Celadon accent booming throughout the entire reception area with a clearly mocking tone through the speaker system as he cast the randomly dispersed and grouped crowd a leer, the three Machamps flanking him either side and behind the podium as the remaining Team Rocket members advanced on the crowd whilst readying large black sacks.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thankyou for coming and giving so generously to the Team Rocket retirement fund. And now, to business! If you'd all like to kindly empty your pockets into the bags my colleagues are going around with, then you'll all survive the night and leave knowing that you've helped contribute to a **good **cause! Thankyou again!"

The Rocket leader finished on a cruel chuckle before stepping down from the podium, taking up a comfortable and almost casual stance beside the three 'bodyguard' Machamps whilst checking and cocking his pistol.

Yoruichi was now both incredibly confused and frustrated with Zaraki's unexplained behaviour, there was a major crime going on before them and he was doing nothing! Just what the hell could he be thinking?

"Zaraki!" She whispered quietly yet forcefully to him. "We've got to do something!"

The still smiling Lucario looked up at Yoruichi as he leant heavily upon his walking stick, an all too familiar knowing twinkle shining within the depths of his warm crimson orbs as he opened his muzzle in order to speak once again, his tone low and gentle as not to draw attention to himself and his purple haired colleague.

"This is not our fight, Yoruichi....."

The three Rockets with black sacks were nearly level with the terrified and screaming crowd when a tall lithe figure draped in darkness silently dropped down from the roof over two hundred feet from the floor, It's long faded brown leather cloak billowing wildly out behind It's rapidly descending form.

The dark figure landed before the three advancing Rockets with in a crouch, cracking the ceramic floor tiles with the force of the impact. A coarse baritone voice razor edged with blisteringly hot rage erupted from the figure's invisible mouth, resonating throughout the entire hall whilst it's blazing blue irises flashed with a cold fury that held no bounds.

"_HOLD!"_

The three Rockets sprang backwards with horrified shrieks, tripping over their own feet and landing painfully on their backsides as the colossal figure slowly rose to his feet, something that would have arisen quite a bit of laughter were the situation not so dire. The air around the figure seemed to shimmer as it's gaze fell upon the fallen Rockets, as if the strange being were giving out waves of intense heat.

Zaraki's smile, if possible, grew even wider as the a sudden hush blanketed the enormous reception area, the downed Rocket members momentarily forgetting their weapons as they crawled, scarpered and ran from the colossal figure with a desperation only matched by terrified sailors fleeing an enraged Gyarados.

Everyone in the room knew of the legend of the dark guardian, the fabled 'Shadowed Avenger' that fought injustice by the cover of night, and now they were witnessing first hand proof of not only his existence, but his desire to protect the innocents of this world from the corrupt.

Both the Rocket leader and his hulking Pokemon bodyguards stared at the cloaked figure slack jawed as the three Rockets on the ground cowered in terror when they reached the whitewashed walls of the reception area, the dark figure's burning blue eyes spoke volumes as he gazed at each of the criminals in turn, both Human and Pokemon alike, with a stare that promised retribution of the highest order.

Zaraki simply continued to smile as he glanced up at a now silent and gaping Yoruichi, watching both the shock and dawning comprehension upon her face as she got over her initial surprise and sensed the truly staggering levels of Aura the dark figure was outputting, Zaraki's voice remaining soft and vaguely amused as he turned his thoughtful gaze back towards the awe-inspiring sight of the 'Shadowed Avenger'.

"It is his......."


	4. Reception to Triumph

**Reception to Triumph**

**-**

**-**

Yoruichi couldn't believe what both her eyes and senses were telling her, she had to be dreaming, maybe even hallucinating. There was no way the being standing before her and Zaraki was real, this guy just couldn't be! He had just landed from what had to be a two hundred foot drop or over, and he had risen like he had merely been kneeling!

She could tell from the dark figure's voice that he was most definitely a male, it was far too deep and masculine to be a female, and she also knew, from the few rumours there were at the Aura Academy regarding the 'Shadowed Avenger', that he was supposed to be a male, but that's what she always thought he was, a rumour! A myth! A legend with no basis in fact!

'T-This doesn't make any sense, it's not possible!' Yoruichi thought to herself. 'This guy's supposed to be a myth! An urban legend! He can't be real..... Can he?'

Zaraki was still wearing that same all knowing smirk beside her, and it was driving her insane! Had Zaraki know that this was going to happen? Is this why he hadn't allowed her to attack the Rockets? Had he known of the 'Shadowed Avenger's' existence? All the possibilities were making the young Aura master's head hurt!

The thing which rattled her most of all though, was the sheer level of Aura the dark avenger of justice was outputting, the air around him was shimmering with it! She had only witnessed such a spectacle when watching Zaraki in battle, and Zaraki was the most powerful Aura user alive! However, Yoruichi could easily sense that the Aura both surrounding and coursing through the Shadowed Avenger was unfocused, unschooled and unused. He might not even be aware of his Aura powers, or that he was outputting incredible levels of Aura at this exact moment in time.

Yet despite her inner turmoil, all Yoruichi could seem to do now was exactly what everyone in the now silent reception hall had resorted to doing; stare in a mixture of both awe and disbelief at the dark figure that now stood before them.

'What's that stuff he's wearing?' She suddenly thought to herself in confusion. 'It.... It looks like...... Shadows? That's not possible either! What's going on?!?'

Yoruichi's inner monologue was cut short however, as the darkened figure finally began to speak....

* * *

Mewtwo couldn't help but smirk beneath his shadowy concealment as he witnessed the three Rocket's desperately fleeing and cowering before him in terror, the almost blinding light from his blazing blue irises having masked his quick mental manipulations upon the aforementioned men and woman.

He had very quickly and simply used his psychic powers to enter the minds of the three Rockets when he had been dropping down from the roof, forcing a chemical imbalance in their brains that had greatly heightened their perception of fear. It only worked on the weak minded and it wouldn't last for long, but it had done its job well.

'_Three down...... Four to go.......' _

The powerful psychic inwardly groaned as he looked towards the podium where the group's leader and the three Machamps still stood, the four momentarily stunned by his sudden entrance, though he knew from experience that they would quickly get over their surprise and try to either escape or attack him. Although it was more than likely going to be the latter rather than the former.

He also quickly discovered he had been right not to simply teleport here when he sensed that the leader of these pitiful excuses for both Humans and Pokemon was indeed a psychic, a weak one, but a psychic nonetheless.

Mewtwo knew that what he had done just now was dangerous. In exposing himself to not only the criminals here, but the hundreds of innocent civilians he was now protecting, he knew that it was only a matter of hours before he would become fact rather than fiction, a known and hunted vigilante instead of an urban legend..... And worse still, he couldn't erase their memories with his telepathy without attracting some extremely unwanted and dangerous company...... But this was a risk he had known and accepted as a possibility when he became the Shadowed Avenger all those years ago. Something inside him just couldn't allow himself to sit there and watch all these people being mugged and possibly hurt whilst he watched and waited for the criminals to leave so he could disarm and restrain them under cover of darkness.

'_I guess there's more of a 'Hero' in me than I thought.....'_

Deciding that he should probably break the ever mounting tension in the crowded room and save his nostalgic realizations for later, Mewtwo finally opened in his mouth and spoke up once again, his coarse baritone voice calm and collected yet frigidly cold in the ears of all those present whilst his burning blue iris's gaze locked with the leader of the Rocket's motley group.

"_I give you one chance to save yourself, Rocket..... Give yoursel__f up now, and I will not harm you or your cohorts......" _

_

* * *

  
_

Zaraki couldn't deny that he was impressed by the 'Shadow Avenger's' timely yet dramatic entrance, though he had found himself repressing snorts of hysteric laughter as he watched the three Rockets cowering in terror after the darkened figure had 'got the drop on them'..... Quite literally as a matter of fact.

Truth be told, he was amazed that the Shadowed Avenger had been the being he had been sensing all throughout the day, not to mention the skill and ability the dark figure had already demonstrated were without the manipulation of Aura. Yes indeed, Zaraki was greatly looking forward to seeing this being in action. The Shadowed Avenger practically radiated both power and mystery with his presence, whilst his voice commanded authority and respect, his actions, the way he moved and the precision and accuracy of his earlier jump were truly a testament to both this Dark warrior's skill and power. The upcoming fight would most definitely prove to be an interesting spectacle indeed.

'It's a sure sign you're getting on a bit when you find entertainment in a youngster squaring off against a gang of crooks' Zaraki inwardly mused to himself. 'Oh well, I guess I'll have to start thinking about writing a will of some sort...... In another ten or so years.'

* * *

Mewtwo successfully repressed a smirk when he saw the Rocket leader visibly falter upon hearing his threatening words, though the humour he felt was quickly replaced with resignation when he heard the overpaid thug's less than optimistic reply.

"Not going to happen, Shadow boy. We came here to do a job, and we're not leaving until it's done."

Mewtwo narrowed his already solemn gaze at the Rocket upon hearing the suddenly cocky Human's retort, the blazing blue light of his eyes intensifying as he responded in turn.

"_Your funeral......"_

If the overly confident Rocket felt threatened by Mewtwo's words then he certainly didn't show it as he jerked his head towards the three burly Machamps, who were already cracking their knuckles in anticipation of a fight, the aforementioned fighting type Pokemon quickly and obediently sprang up upon seeing their trainer's signal, beginning to advance on the dark knight with clearly hostile intentions.

"Walk all over him, boys......"

Mewtwo simply let out an inaudible sigh as the Machamps began to approach him, wordlessly extending his large left paw, currently concealed in darkness, and slowly bringing it backwards and then forwards again in the universally known sign of 'Bring in on', knowing full well that these 'proud' fighting type Pokemon would take this as a great insult.

The Machamps responded in exactly the way Mewtwo had anticipated, all three of them bristled angrily as clearly surprised gasps and murmurs broke out within the crowds of the watchful yet terrified civilians, the trapped crowds obviously believed that the Shadowed Avenger had gone quite mad to openly challenge not one, but three of one of the most powerful fighting type Pokemon in the known world. Even such a lithe and agile fighter couldn't hope to survive such a confrontation..... Could he?

The dark cloak clad warrior clearly thought differently as he suddenly broke into a sprint towards the three hulking Pokemon, his long brown cloak whipping noisily out behind him before he suddenly seemed to become a blur, Mewtwo having used his 'Extremespeed' technique once again, appearing before the first of the Machamps in an instant.

Mewtwo took a split second to relish the sudden fear that bloomed upon the giant creature's face before he brought his clenched right fist up to meet his jaw in an uppercut that would make a Hitmonchan's look like a light tap in comparison, the Machamp's head snapping backwards in an instant before he was sent on brief flight backwards through the air, he'd undoubtably have agonising whiplash when he awoke.

'_I doubt he'll be getting up anytime soon' _Mewtwo thought to himself as the Machamp in question came down upon the podium with an almighty 'Crack' of splintering wood, before finally coming to rest at the feet of his trainer. The once confident smirks of the Rocket leader and his Pokemon quickly dropped from their respective faces as they visibly paled, the remaining two Machamps hesitating momentarily as Mewtwo slowly rose to his full 6'7 height with his paws at his sides.

Silence once again reigned supreme within the enormous reception hall as everyone, save for a certain smiling Lucario, stared open mouthed at the unbelievable feat of both speed and strength the Shadowed Avenger had just displayed, he had just sent a Machamp flying with a single punch! Supposedly one of the physically strongest Pokemon of all time......

"_You had your chance, Rocket.....__Your Pokemon can't defeat me....."_

The Rocket clearly didn't share that sentiment as he screamed out orders to his two remaining Pokemon, nervous sweat beginning to accumulate on his pale skin as he returned the unconscious Machamp to his pokeball in a narrow beam of dull red energy.

"Get him! Attack him together and you'll beat him!"

The two Machamps, perhaps emboldened by their trainer's words, quickly shook themselves out of their stupor and broke into a sprint towards the dark knight, the tiled floor shook beneath their weight as the right fists of the Machamp on the left began to glow with a bright white light, the same happening to the other Machamp's twin left fists, both Superpower Pokemon summoning their powerful 'Mega Punch' technique in an attempt to crush the being who had so easily despatched their fellow Machamp.

Mewtwo held his ground as the two fighting types bore down upon his position, his large paws clenching into tight fists at his sides as he dropped into a crouch, gathering energy in his powerful leg muscles before he launched himself backwards into graceful backflip mere milliseconds before the Machamp's four fists turned the spot he stood not a moment ago into little more than rubble.

Mewtwo's padded feet landed squarely upon the pale pink paint of the wall behind him as he finished his flip, a smirk raising the corners of his lips unbiddenly before he executed a manoeuvre that all but the Aura users in the room thought impossible, he quickly gathered energy in his legs once more before launching himself down towards the rapidly regrouping Machamps with all the force he could summon, turning himself into a shadowy torpedo as he shot through the air with his paws outstretched before him.

The sickening 'crack' of a shattering ribcage filled the reception hall as Mewtwo's fists collided with the chest of the Machamp on the left, his chest cratering with the force of the blow and his eyes bulging in slow motion before he was plowed into the wall on the opposite side of the room! The plaster and brickwork quickly giving way beneath the force of Mewtwo's attack and the combined weight of both the wounded Machamp and Mewtwo himself.

The Rocket leader and remaining Machamp could only gape at the hole in the wall their comrade had disappeared into, their eyes almost widening beyond what was anatomically possible as they felt a deep sense of foreboding settle within their respective stomachs.

'H-He...... He...... He just smashed Rocky **through** that wall...... What the hell is this guy?!?' The now trembling Rocket thought to himself. 'Zeus doesn't even stand a chance!'

* * *

Yoruichi let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding as she and Zaraki watched the Shadowed Avenger throw the supposedly powerful Pokemon around as if they were nothing but a minor irritation! She could tell that the dark figure was holding back by a tremendous degree, it was obvious by the almost casual way he was dealing with them.

Though Yoruichi could sense a great deal of inner turmoil projected from within the Shadowed Avenger's Aura, she could sense a multitude of conflicting emotions within the mysterious vigilante all of which caused her feel a great deal of confusion. Within the dark knight she could sense an iron resolve to protect those who could not protect themselves, steadfast and unyielding bravery, great compassion, fortitude, kindness and many more admirable emotions. Yet, as she flexed her Aura and delved deeper within the Shadowed Avenger's own, she could also sense some troubling emotions as well. Loneliness practically drenched his Aura, Sadness, disdain and self loathing did also, these emotions were so powerful that they made her feel like she was being weighed down by simply sensing them.

However, that was not what truly concerned or frightened the young Aura master, what did was the underlying emotion she could just detect within the very center of the dark warrior's Aura..... Rage burned within his heart..... Unrestrained, unstoppable and unequallable rage...... A burning rage so savage and ferocious that it threatened to consume him entirely......

Zaraki had clearly sensed the same thing she had as she saw the smile vanish from his face in a moment when she glanced down at him, great sympathy blanketing his usually cheerful expression as he finally opened his mouth in order to speak to Yoruichi for the first time since the Shadowed Avenger's arrival, his tone low and soft as both he and she seemed to forget about the ongoing battle for a moment.

"You feel it too, do you not, Yoruichi? This poor creature has suffered a truly terrible existence..... I can feel his pain as if it were my own......"

Yoruichi could only nod as she swallowed loudly, blinking back tears as she fought to regain control over her emotions and free her Aura of the lingering traces of negative emotions she had received from the Shadowed Avenger, not trusting her own voice at the moment and even disregarding Zaraki's use of her actual name.

"I believe that we could help him, given time..... Do you agree, old friend?"

Yoruichi managed to smile despite the lingering unhappy emotions upon hearing Zaraki's words, she had guessed that he would say something like that, he always wanted to help everyone that needed or wanted his aid.

"I do, Zaraki..... Though do you think he'll even want our help? Let alone agree to come to the academy with us?"

Zaraki's slightly wrinkled face brightened into it's usual smile as he finally glanced up at Yoruichi, that ever present twinkle in his eyes shining brightly up at her as he spoke one again.

"I believe that he may find our offer tempting, as it offers him the things he subconsciously craves..... Companionship, trust, acceptance, kindness..... And most importantly, hope......"

* * *

Mewtwo couldn't help but feel a brief surge of sympathy for the wounded Pokemon lying at his feet, it was likely that his injuries would leave him incapable of walking or any serious movement for a considerable length of time. Quickly pushing aside all feelings of sympathy and guilt for another time, Mewtwo left the unconscious Pokemon where he was and stepped back through the gaping hole in the wall, finding all eyes upon him as he slowly strode towards his the final opponent.

"_I offer you one final chance to surrender...... I would take it if I you....."_

The last of the three Machamps, now known as Zeus, prepared to do battle once again as he steeled his shaken nerves, knowing full well that he didn't have much of a chance as he opened his yellow beak-like mouth in order to speak for the first time tonight.

"Machamp, Mach Ma......" (A true warrior never surrenders)

"_A true warrior would not lie, cheat or steal......"_

Mewtwo finally came to a stop roughly twenty feet from the hulking mass of muscle that was Zeus, his long arms held casually at his sides as he waited for the Machamp to make the first move, remaining perfectly calm and collected even now.

Zeus began to warily circle the lone figure draped in darkness as he tried to come up with a strategy, his dull red eyes frantically sweeping the room for something, **anything** he could use to gain the advantage in this battle.

Luckily for him, yet unfortunately for everyone else, a startled realization suddenly struck him. 'Wait.... He wants to protect the Humans......' Zeus thought to himself, smirking inwardly as not to arouse the Shadowed Avenger's suspicions. 'Let's see what the big hero does when they're in the line of fire.....'

Zeus continued to circle the dark knight until he was at his original position at the head of the entrance hall, facing the end of the reception area with the Shadowed Avenger standing roughly six or seven meters infront of the, now slightly calmer but still visibly shaken, crowd.

The Machamp planted his feet firmly upon the tiled floor whilst he held his four sets of hands before his chest as if he were holding a large ball approximately three and a half feet in diameter, his dull red eyes flashing with a bright gold light as spirit energy of a matching colour began to rapidly gather between his outstretching hands.

Mewtwo's currently glowing blue eyes widened slightly as the golden energy in the Machamp's hands began to grow at an astonishing rate, whatever this attack was it certainly looked impressive to say the least. Yet Mewtwo couldn't help but think, _'Why would he prepare such a powerful attack when he knows I can evade his every move? It doesn't make any sense..... Unless..... Oh please no......'_

Mewtwo felt a cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach as he quickly glanced over his right shoulder, his eyes widening to the fullest possible extent as his worse fears were confirmed, a great many people were directly behind him. At the forefront of the crowd stood a young woman and an elderly Lucario, both of whom were staring at the Machamp with realization quickly dawning upon their faces.

'_If I dodge this attack it'll hit the crowd!' _Mewtwo thought furiously, turning his now enraged gaze back towards the Machamp who was now preparing to launch his completed attack.

* * *

Yoruichi and Zaraki had quickly reached the same conclusion Mewtwo had as they stared on in horror, their respective minds racing as Yoruichi agonised over defying Zaraki's orders and rushing to the Shadowed Avenger's aid.

'That's a 'Focus Blast' attack, it'll kill him if he doesn't move!' Yoruichi mentally screamed. 'But it'll kill hundreds of people if he does move! That monster! He's not even really aiming for the Shadowed Avenger!'

Yoruichi glanced down at the same Zaraki looked up at her, his crimson orb's unusually stern stare locking with her own golden eyed gaze in a look which clearly said 'We mustn't intervene!'

"Zaraki, we've got to do something!" She hissed angrily down at her long-time friend and mentor. "This isn't right!"

"You're underestimating him, Yoruichi....." Zaraki replied in a calm yet somber tone as they watched the Shadowed Avenger plant his feet and brace himself in readiness, he planned to meet the attack head on! "He is holding back his true power to a truly staggering degree...... I don't doubt that he could kill that Machamp with a single attack if he wished to....."

Yoruichi silently fumed as she took in her mentor's words, about to launch into another furious attempt to make Zaraki see sense before she was cut off the Machamp grunting loudly in effort, his glowing golden eyes glinting maliciously as he hurled the enormous sphere of golden energy towards the Shadowed Avenger.

Time seemed to slow down for Yoruichi as the attack neared the lone defender of the night, despite the attack having been known for being exceedingly swift. Feeling desperate, she began to sprint towards him, her cat-like golden eyes filling with silvery white light as she utilized her Aura to greatly enhance her speed and reflexes.

'I've got to reach him in time!' Yoruichi mentally screamed at herself even as she heard Zaraki shout out for her to stop. 'He's risked his own life to save everyone here, I can't just watch him die whilst I do nothing!'

She was almost there, she was only a few feet from him, just a little more and she'd be able to shove him out of harms way! But it was not to be..... For just as her fingertips grazed the Shadowed Avenger's cloak, Zaraki appeared as a black and blue blur and tackled her around her middle, sending the both of them sprawling to the floor a good five and a half meters to the dark figure's immediate left.

'What the-? Zaraki? Oh god, no!'

Yoruichi glanced up from the floor just in time to see the golden sphere collide with the Shadowed Avenger's arms, which were in a protective X-shape infront of his head and chest, before he and it vanished in the furious blast wave of an explosion, the size of which dwarfed even the colossal figure himself.

Yoruichi could only stare in muted horror as the fiery vortex enveloped the Shadowed Avenger in what promised to be a lethal blast, causing her to cry out in desperation to the seemingly doomed hero.....

"NO!!!!"


	5. Burning Retribution

**Burning Retribution**

**-**

**-**

"NO!!!!"

Yoruichi felt numb as she watched thick black smoke pour from the now destroyed area of tiled floor the Shadowed Avenger had stood upon not a moment ago, her golden eyed gaze remaining wide and disbelieving whilst the Machamp threw his head backwards in a victorious laugh, pounding his muscular chest with his four giant fists.

He was gone..... She had failed....... Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to repay the bravery and selflessness the dark vigilante had displayed in his efforts to protect the hundreds of innocent people still clustered together in the reception hall.

Yoruichi was not the only one to have called out in the Shadowed Avenger's final moments, many of the smartly dressed fundraiser guests had also screamed as and when she had, those in question and others were now also staring at the smoking crater in horrified silence.

Zaraki shifted beside her with a pained grunt, having bore much of the impact when he had tackled her to the ground, slowly rising to his feet with a low hiss of pain as he had discarded his walking stick when he had chased after the considerably younger Aura master, a small smile raising the corners of his lips as he turned towards the smoking hole in the floor.

Anger suddenly registered in Yoruichi's mind as she came out of her stupor, anger at herself for not being faster, anger at Zaraki for stopping her, anger at the Rocket leader who was now grinning like a lunatic and praising his Pokemon, but most of all, she felt anger at the still laughing Machamp that had caused the death of a heroic and selfless being, unchecked and unrestrained fury quickly taking a hold of her senses as she quickly got up off the floor.

She was on her feet in a second, her gloved hands clenching into fists at her sides whilst her jaw tightened, her lips parting as she ground her teeth together in a snarl, her golden iris's gaze becoming fierce as she took a step towards the murderous fighting type.

"You monster!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, drawing the attention of everyone in the room as well as both the Machamp and his trainer.

The Rocket leader's smirk widened noticeably as his gaze fell upon the purple haired Aura master, his eyes brazenly exploring her athletic form as he opened his mouth in order to speak once more.

"Damn..... Your one fine girl, sweetheart..... How's about you and me enjoy some 'alone time' when I'm finished here?"

Yoruichi visibly steamed upon hearing the criminal's lecherous words, her golden eyes filling with the silvery white light of aura whilst Zaraki failed to repress a slight snort of laughter at her side, a fact that did **not** help Yoruichi's already fragile temper in the slightest.

"Why you disgusting piece of shi-!"

The young Aura master was cut off mid swear word as a familiar baritone voice suddenly erupted from within the smoking crater in the floor of the hotel, causing everyone and everything in the room to freeze in place with their now impossibly wide eyes locked on the now lessening pillar of smoke, two narrowed slits of intense blue light suddenly blazing into life from behind the midnight black veil of smoke whilst Zaraki's smile blossomed into a full blown grin.

"_I apologise for interrupting you, Miss__....."_

Yoruichi felt her breath catch in her throat upon hearing that voice, turning around with painstaking slowness before coming to face the rapidly dissipating smoke covered crater just as those bright blue eyes became visible to her and Zaraki, and also to the now 'strangely' quiet Rocket and Machamp if their faces were anything to go by.....

"_And I share your sentiments on these two being nothing more than lumps of excrement......"_

The once thick black smoke became faint trails before finally clearing to reveal the seemingly unscathed dark form of the Shadowed Avenger in all his glory as he stepped out from the small crater in the tiled floor, faded brown leather cloak and all, causing a sudden awed hush to fall upon the room as everyone tried to digest the supposedly impossible sight before them, no one could believe their eyes, save for a certain grinning Lucario of course.

'He..... He's alive.....' Yoruichi could only stare up at the dark figure a few meters to her left in stunned silence, her voice remaining absent even as the Shadowed Avenger turned to address her directly, his previously cold and detached tone softening ever so slightly as he spoke after taking a brief pause in speaking, the bright blue light of his eyes lessening in intensity.

"_T__hankyou for your willingness to defend me...... But this is my fight...."_

Yoruichi couldn't help but feel oddly flattered by the Shadowed Avenger's polite and respectful manner in speaking to her, an almost unnoticeable streak of pink staining her tanned cheeks as she merely nodded in response, unable to keep a diminutive smile from gracing her lips despite her shock over him surviving such an attack.

The young Aura master couldn't tell for sure, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen the Shadowed Avenger smile at her before he turned back towards the stupefied Rocket and his Machamp, though she couldn't be sure whether it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

* * *

'_Dammit that hurt......' _Mewtwo mentally groaned to himself as he knelt within the small crater that strange attack had created when it exploded, suddenly feeling inexplicably grateful to his deceased creators for designing him so well, that blast would have caused a great deal of possibly lasting damage to an average psychic Pokemon.

'_Note to self, avoid getting hit by those in the future......'_

The psychic feline quickly used his powers to filter the air he was drawing into his lungs as he became aware of mocking laughter slowly overcoming the lessening roar in his sensitive ears, 'That Machamp....' Mewtwo realized, feeling a sudden stab of anger swelling up within him. However, even as he was about to rise up and speak, another voice cut through the both the Machamp's laughter and his thoughts, a female voice for certain, but seldom had he heard such anger in a Human's tone.

"You monster!"

'_Who's that.....?'_

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see through the veil of thick black smoke currently hiding him from view, his now lavender coloured eyes widening considerably as the purple haired woman from earlier slowly came into view, and despite his best efforts, Mewtwo found that his gaze was glued to her tall lithe form, something about her just wouldn't allow him to look away, his anger seeming much less important all of a sudden.

'_She..... She's the one who tried to save me......' _The large shadow concealed cat realized, having sensed someone exceptionally fast running towards him before the golden energy sphere had struck him, though it was now apparent that her Lucario companion had shoved her out of the way at the last possible moment, a fact that Mewtwo, to his immense confusion, found himself grateful for, though he couldn't help but be curious about the female's speed, he hadn't thought it possible for Humans to move that fast.

A pleasant warm feeling settled within the pit of his stomach, though why Mewtwo honestly couldn't say. Despite not understanding why, Mewtwo felt oddly privileged that someone would risk their life for his own, though he quickly berated himself for having such foolish thoughts, theorising that it was simply his long denied psychological need for acceptance that was making him feel this way.

'_Focus hero, focus..... You've still got a job to do here.....'_

The words of the now smug sounding Rocket leader snapped him back to the here and now as he finally tore his gaze from the purple haired woman, though what he heard set his sharp teeth on edge.

"Damn..... Your one fine girl, sweetheart..... How's about you and me enjoy some 'alone time' when I'm finished here?"

'_How dare he say such a thing!' _Mewtwo held back a snarl with considerable difficulty as he quickly rose to his feet, his large paws tightening into fists at his sides once again as he opened his mouth in order to speak, cutting off the young woman mid swear word as his lavender irises were lost beneath a sea of bright blue light once more.

"_I apologise for interrupting you, Miss....."_

The reaction was instantatious, the purple haired woman's words trailed off into nothingness as she slowly turned towards the sound of his voice, her wide golden eyes locking with his blazing blue orbs through the rapidly dissipating smoke as he spoke again.

"_And I share your sentiments on these two being nothing more than lumps of excrement......"_

The faces of the Machamp and his trainer were a picture at this point, both of them having become frozen in place like statues upon hearing his voice, yet Mewtwo paid them no mind as he slowly stepped out from the small crater in the hotel's floor, his glowing blue eyed gaze locked with the golden orbs of the young woman in the orange and black sparring uniform.

She truly was a breathtaking sight to the genetically altered Pokemon, despite being a Human there was just something about her that made Mewtwo's heart beat that little bit faster. Mewtwo was no stranger to attraction, he had felt this stirring within him before, although never for a Human! Was he ill or something? Had that attack been some sort of strange 'Attract' technique? Nevertheless, he found himself unable to tear his gaze from the young woman's own.

Unfortunately, all this feeling had spelled for him was anguish and heartache in the not too distant past, two things the psychic feline never wanted to feel again, for they had pained him more than any physical wound ever could have.....

Yet, despite this, he somehow felt compelled to thank this woman for her actions, the coarse throaty tone of his deep voice softening unbeknownst to the powerful psychic himself whilst the bright blue light of his eyes grew noticeably weaker as not to force the purple haired woman to look away, and finally, as the tip of a very large iceberg, he actually smiled at her! A genuine heartfelt smile briefly adorned his pale grey lips as he thanked her, not knowing of course that his protective shadow covering was partially weakened from the earlier attack, allowing the woman to see his smile for the scarcest of moments before his 'camouflage' reasserted itself around him.

"_Thankyou for your willingness to defend me...... But this is my fight...."_

And with that said, he turned back towards the still frozen Machamp and his trainer, his blazing blue irises almost burning with rage as he open his mouth to address them, his deep voice now back to it's usual coarse hostile tone, yet he missed the small smile that graced the young woman lips as he turned away.

"_As for you two..... I should kill you where you stand for such a cowardly attack....."_

Both criminal's visibly flinched upon hearing the Shadowed Avenger's words, knowing that they were now the sole subjects of his ire and their comrades were all either unconscious or whimpering in a fetal position.

"_Sadly, I have one rule..... No killing__ if it can be avoided....."_

This didn't seem to placate either of the two now visibly trembling beings, the Machamp actually began to edge backwards as he knew very well that simply 'not killing' them left the dark vigilante with a great many ways to make them suffer.

Mewtwo glowered at the two as he began to slowly stride towards them whilst his final words rang hauntingly within their ears, gasps of surprise braking out within the crowds of people still clustered at the farthest end of the hall upon hearing the clearly enraged vigilante's next words.

"_But that__ won't stop me from making this excruciatingly painful for the both of you......."_

That was all that the angered psychic said before he broke into a sprint towards the two criminals, his long brown leather cloak billowing wildly out behind him like a cape as he became nothing more than a dark blur in the vision of all but the two Aura masters, only reappearing after burying his right fist in the gut of the Machamp whom immediately doubled over, gasping and wheezing as he desperately tried to draw air back into his lungs, Mewtwo's blazing blue irises narrowing in a cold glare as he drew back for a moment, waiting for the Machamp to rise.

* * *

"He fights with honour...... He won't fight a downed opponent."

Zaraki's softly spoken words caused Yoruichi to turn, switching her attention from the ongoing fight to the ever smiling Lucario, a slight scowl of confusion marring her graceful features as she ignored his observation.

"Why did you stop me, Zaraki? He could have been killed!"

The aged Lucario merely offered her a kind and patient look a parent might offer a confused child, which frustrated her even more. Fortunately, Zaraki began to speak before she could begin another verbal assault.

"Sub-Commander, I knew the Shadowed Avenger would survive the Machamp's attack..... Yet the same could not be said for the people he was shielding..... Many of them would have lost their lives in a blast like that."

Yoruichi quickly grew silent as Zaraki finished speaking, she was still noticeably irritated, but she knew there was wisdom in his words. However, even as the Shadowed Avenger toppled the four armed giant once again, something that Zaraki said struck her as strange.

"How did you know he'd survive that attack? You don't even know him!"

"True, but I can sense what drives him, my friend..... And it is the stuff of legends......"

* * *

Mewtwo cast the still silent Rocket leader a cold glare as the Machamp slumped forward at his feet, having surrendered to the darkness of unconsciousness. The aforementioned man was now clutching his gun with hands that shook so much that it was very unlikely he could hit a stationary target, never mind a moving one.

"_Drop the gun......"_

The man flinched at the dark figure's words, already visibly faltering under the intensity of his gaze. Despite being a high ranking member of Team Rocket, the man was not used to problems occurring in his operations, and a vigilante beating both his Pokemon and comrades senseless definitely qualified as a big freaking problem!

"N-Not gonna ha-happen....."

"_Don't test my patience, Rocket..... It won't end well for you....."_

Mewtwo slowly began to approach the trembling man with long steady footsteps, apparently unafraid of the weapon he wielded, though not many beings would find a terrified and shaking man a particularly frightening prospect to begin with.

"_You know who I am......"_

Mewtwo was clearly intimidating the considerably shorter man as the Rocket quickly began to back away, still brandishing his small firearm with shaking and sweat covered hands.

"_And you know what I can do......"_

The Rocket's back pressed up against the smooth marble of one of the hotel's numerous pillars as he backed up as far as he could go, his eyes wide and fearful as he stared up at the colossal shadow concealed being, his breath catching in his throat as he realized that there was no way out of this.

"_Now drop the gun..... Or suffer the consequences......"_

The man said nothing as simply stared up at Mewtwo in terror, offering a small terrified squeak by way of a response before his eyes suddenly rolled skywards into the back of his head, his body slumping forwards onto the floor as his gun clattered noisily to the ground.

Mewtwo couldn't help but smirk as he glanced down at the now unconscious Rocket leader, finding it both amusing and relatively impressive that he could make a man pass out simply by threatening him.

Quickly remembering that he had an audience of considerable size watching him intently, Mewtwo slowly turned to the enormous crowd of people staring at him in awe. Silence reigning supreme within the hall until several members of the crowd slowly began to clap their hands together in applause, others quickly getting over their shock and rapidly following their colleague's examples until Mewtwo was being given a standing ovation by the entire room, complete with cheering, much to his amazement.

Though, despite this, the genetically augmented Pokemon's intense blue eyed gaze was locked solely upon one individual in the room; the young purple haired woman from earlier who was flashing him a dazzling smile that threatened to split her face in half, furiously clapping her gloved hands together in applause. Amazingly, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Mewtwo felt his problems fading into the darkness as he stared at the captivating young woman, lost in the enchanting golden pools of her eyes.


	6. When Legend Becomes Reality

**When Legend Becomes Reality**

'_Well, that ended well...' _Mewtwo mentally grumbled to himself, the events of the last half hour flashing through his mind as he ran headlong across the shingle rooftops on the outskirts of Celadon City.

'_I'm in serious trouble if they got a picture of me...'_

* * *

Mewtwo couldn't help but smile, albeit only slightly, beneath his protective shadow layer as the entire hotel 'raised the roof' for him, to coin a Human expression. They were extremely vocal with their gratitude, whooping, cheering, clapping and pumping their fists in the air as they applauded his efforts.

'_This is certainly a step up from being feared as some sort of demonic creature...' _Mewtwo thought with a rueful chuckle. _'Still, I'd better not get used to this... I've got to try and stop incidents like this from happening again... I'm going to become Kanto's most wanted when word of tonight gets out...'_

However, even as Mewtwo decided that it was time to take his leave and made as if to go, a familiar voice reached his sensitive ears over the crowd's exuberant cheering.

"Hey, Shadowed Avenger! Hold on a sec!"

Mewtwo froze in place as the purple haired woman quickly jogged over to him, stopping a few scant feet from him with a semi embarrassed, semi grateful grin adorning her lips, her golden cat-like eyes locking with his burning blue orbs as a sudden hush blanketed the room, the crowd's cheering coming to a close as the entire hotel leant forward, wanting to hear what promised to be a most interesting exchange between the young Aura master and the dark vigilante.

Mewtwo glanced silently down at the purple haired woman with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation upon his concealed face, unsure of exactly what the alluring young woman wanted to say to him.

"I just wanted to thankyou for what you did... It was incredibly brave..."

Mewtwo couldn't stave off another small but sincere smile as the young Aura master thanked him for his actions, secretly enjoying the strange yet familiar feeling that was currently warming his chest as her oddly sensual voice washed over him.

The young Aura master smiled up at him as if she knew he was happy, however, unbeknownst to the exceptionally tall creature, she knew by his Aura that her words had made him feel better than he had felt in quite some time, her voice growing bolder and less formal as she opened her mouth in order to speak once again, her elderly Lucario companion standing off to the side with a grin upon his face.

"Listen, my friend and I were wondering if yo-..."

Unfortunately, the young woman's words were cut short as the blinding white light of a police issue spotlight suddenly blazed into life outside, illuminating both the entrance of the grand hotel and the startled forms of Mewtwo and the purple haired master of Aura.

"**VIRIDIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT!"** A booming voice called out over a megaphone, nearly deafening the two who were already nearly blinded by the spotlight, causing sudden screams of surprise from the crowd further behind them. Mewtwo in particular had snarled in pain as he felt his eyeballs burning in protest to the disorientating bright light, instinctively shielding the purple haired woman and himself with his cloak as they both fell to one knee.

"**STAY WHERE YOU ARE, SHADOWED AVENGER! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN THE USE OF FORCE!"**

Mewtwo restrained another snarl as he threw an arm around the young woman's waist and hoarsely whispered _"Hold on!" _into her ear before launching the both of them towards the grand hotel's roof with all the strength his powerful legs could muster, earning a startled gasp from the woman held in his arms, not to mention the numerous reactions of the Police and other spectators upon seeing such a seemingly impossible feat.

Mewtwo's leap propelled the two to the hotel's highest level, the twenty second floor, landing the both of them expertly in a crouch upon the steel railing. However, before he could relax or even release the woman from his grasp, his sharp hearing detected the telltale sound of weapons being cocked from below!

The powerful psychic's eyes widened in startled realization before he dove forward onto the marble floor, shielding the purple haired woman beneath him with his larger body as several gunshots echoed out into the night, bullets ricocheting off the railing with ear piercing metallic 'thuds!'

"_Are you alright?" _Mewtwo asked as he rose into a crouch beside the young woman, the blazing blue light of his eyes lessening in intensity as he locked gazes with her for the third time that night, noting her surprisingly calm demeanour after such an ordeal.

"I'm fine, thanks for that, but what the fuck was that back there? They were trying to kill you!" The purple haired woman questioned/yelled. If anything, she seemed more concerned about his wellbeing and the actions of the authorities than her own near death experience.

"_The authorities seem to have classified me as a threat, Miss. One that they believe needs to be eliminated..."_ Mewtwo answered speculatively, it wasn't too much of a stretch in the slightest to assume such a thing with the amount of rumours about him flying around. In any case, Mewtwo knew that they didn't have long before the police reached this level, it was only a matter of time, time which Mewtwo didn't have.

"Bastards!" The purple haired woman ground out, bringing the faintest hint of a smirk to the large feline's unseen lips. However that same smirk quickly vanished as the sound of pounding boots coming up the nearby stairwell reached his ears.

"_Dammit! Miss, in here!" _Mewtwo called out as he quickly rose to his feet and kicked in the nearest door, smashing through the lock with the powerful strike before more or less bundling the woman inside the room, ignoring her protests as he did so.

"Wait! I need to ask yo-!"

"_There's no time! Stay here!"_ Mewtwo interrupted as he slammed the door behind her, focusing for a moment as he utilized his 'Flamethrower' technique at it's weakest level to melt the smashed lock to the door's frame.

Satisfied that the woman would be safe for the time being, Mewtwo turned on his heel and began to sprint down the corridor, his long leather cloak billowing wildly out behind him as a squad of armed S.W.A.T operatives finally rounded the corner behind him.

"FREEZE!" They bellowed after his fleeing form, and, when he didn't comply with their demands, opened fire on him with their semi-automatic machineguns.

'_Damnation!'_ Mewtwo mentally cursed as he both sensed and heard the incoming gunfire, putting on a fresh burst of speed as he diverted down another corridor, bullets peppering the marble walls mere milliseconds afterwards. He knew full well that displaying any sort of telekinetic or psychic power in front of the police was an extremely foolhardy idea, his 'paranormal' abilities were only speculation at this point in time. However, that could change right here and now if he chose to deflect or halt the incoming projectiles with his powers, so Mewtwo did the only thing he could think to do; he charged towards the end of the corridor where a large decorative window stood, the bright blue light of his eyes momentarily intensifying as he utilized his 'Extremespeed' technique once more to accelerate to the speed of sound and beyond, becoming little more than a dark caped blur to all who saw him as he suddenly shot towards the end of the corridor, launching himself through the window in an explosion of glass.

Mewtwo landed heavily in a crouch upon the roof of a nearby building in a shower of glass shards, quickly leaping onto the next one whilst muttering a few rather rude expletives before breaking into a run towards Viridian forest.

* * *

'_At least no one was hurt...Could have been worse I suppose...' _Mewtwo silently mused to himself as he neared his next destination; Celadon city. _'But still...Who was that woman?'_

Her face was still as clear as crystal in the dark vigilante's mind, her unspoken question hanging over his head and plaguing his mind with a great many more questions in turn, all of which made Mewtwo's head hurt.

'_Well, there's nothing I can do about her right now..." _He summarised._ "I'll try to locate her tomorrow night..." _

All thoughts of the purple haired woman were soon pushed to the back of the young feline's mind however, as his destination finally came into view; a small yet obviously expensive gun metal grey building with very few windows, and only on the second floor, on the very edge of Celadon's industrial district.

The corners of Mewtwo lips turned upwards in a soft smile despite his rather pathetic attempts to suppress it as he neared the complex, a pleasant yet nervous warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach, like a swarm of Butterfree were trapped inside his gut and **really** wanted to vacate the premises.

'_Back to the present, Mewtwo...' _The powerful psychic reminded himself._ 'I just hope Laura isn't as 'flirty' as usual tonight... Damned teenage hormones, they'll be the death of me...'_

* * *

A dreamy smile adorned a young Lopunny's lips as she sat at her desk, absentmindedly doodling little love hearts over what appeared to be a very detailed diagram for some sort of experiment to do with bonding various rare metals whilst entertaining some rather lewd thoughts about a certain vigilante.

'Steady on there, Girl...' She mentally chastised herself. 'The poor guy's shy enough as it is without you jumping him the second he arrives.'

Laura was an attractive Lopunny of twenty five, and, standing at an impressive 5'4, she was noticeably taller than the average 3'11 height of her species. She wore a white buttoned up lab coat that ended at mid thigh, much like her long ears, and a thin silver necklace around her neck, the pendant of which hung inbetween her rather expansive cleavage.

Yes, Laura was most heterosexual male Pokemon's dream girl; beautiful, funny, smart, kind and **considerably** well endowed, even for a Lopunny. A trait which she had discovered, to her obvious delight, both embarrassed and aroused the usually brooding psychic cat.

'Although he **is** cute when he blushes' Laura pointed out to herself, a cheshire cat grin plastered to her face. 'Not that he's not cute when he isn't blushing.' She added.

Laura, despite her looks, was also a genius in every sense of the word. True, Mewtwo's IQ was superior to even that of an Alakazam, i.e. 5000, but as she had proven countless times in her relatively short life, not having a high IQ didn't mean that she was inept or incapable of great things. Laura had made history with her, now patented, Poke'translator; a device which, obvious by the name, translated a Pokemon's speech into various Human languages virtually instantaneously. The wealth Laura quickly accumulated from such a revolutionary device allowed her to build her own high tech laboratory complex/home at extraordinary expense, well into a seven figure sum, on the edge of the heart of Kanto's most thriving city.

Fortunately though, she was not a well known public figure. Laura had, albeit with the help of a well connected acquaintance, used a dummy cooperation to release her invention and take all the credit for it, allowing her the luxury of a quiet life. Well, as quiet a life as a Lopunny with a vigilante/immeasurably powerful psychic for a best friend could have at any rate!

A soft frown marred the normal type Pokemon's face as she happened to glance down at her desk and see the mess she had made of her diagrams, Laura had drawn more than a few love hearts with the letters 'M+L' in their centres, earning a light blush from the brown rabbit as she crumpled the aforementioned diagram in her furry hands and chucked it into the bin at the foot of her desk.

"When did I become such a child?" She muttered under her breath as she rose from her desk and stretched, lifting her arms high above her head before stifling a yawn behind her hand, checking the clock on her desk one last time before she turned and slowly strode towards the stairs leading up to her 'home', wanting a slightly more welcoming environment than her lab, and a mug of hot chocolate to boot.

A tranquil smile lit up the young scientist's face as she entered the rather plain kitchen of her 'home', so she wasn't one to go overboard when decorating, so what? The walls, just like every other wall in her home, were a deep rich maroon, a colour the rabbit found warm and, more importantly, homely.

As Laura waited for her kettle to boil, she allowed her thoughts to drift towards the dark vigilante once again, remembering how they had first met. Laura remembered how she'd taken a shortcut through a dark alleyway one night, hoping to make it home in time to watch a documentary on the history of the Earth. However, she hadn't anticipated running into a rather burly Primeape in search of a 'good time', as he had put it. Laura, of course, refused, smacked the amorous with a well placed 'Dizzy Punch', and attempted to flee from the fighting type, knowing that he had a distinct type advantage over her, however the alleyway led straight into a dead end.

She recalled with a shudder how the depraved Pokemon had approached her like a Persian stalking it's prey on the grasslands of the Safari Zone, his beady eyes narrowed in preparation to pounce. Laura remembered mentally praying for a miracle as she'd backed up against the wall as he drew ever closer, her fists clenched at her sides in preparation to strike. Only for her pleas to be answered when an enormous creature seemingly dropped from the sky before her, landing deftly in a crouch on the pavement before rising to stand between her and the now wide eyed fighting type, his tall form partially obscured by the darkness.

"_Are you alright, Miss?" _She remembered hearing the mystifying being ask her in what had to be one of the softest yet deepest voices she had ever heard, though she had little time to ponder the Pokemon's identity as he, for it's voice was far too masculine to be a female, turned towards her and gazed down upon her with the most beautiful eyes the young normal type had ever seen. His eyes were slitted and obvious feline, like a Meowth or a Persian, yet they were the most enchanting shade of amethyst imaginable, it was all Laura could do to mutely nod in response to his words.

After checking that she was alright the tall Pokemon turned to the stunned Primeape and nearly beat him to death in what was more a slaughter than a battle, leaving the would-be-rapist bleeding and gasping for breath on the pavement with a pierced lung, multiple lacerations and probable internal bleeding, each of his limbs broken in multiple places and sticking out at unnatural angles.

She remembered how her saviour had then offered to take her home, but oddly he requested that she close her eyes. When she had questioned why, after regaining her bearings of course, the unknown Pokemon simply yet sadly replied.

"_Because you will be frightened by my appearance if you do not..."_

Laura smiled sadly as she recalled Mewtwo's past words, remembering how she had immediately rebuked his claim by taking his offered paw and drawing the larger and considerably surprised feline into a tight embrace.

She smiled fondly as she remembered seeing Mewtwo's appearance for the first time a few days later, how nervous he was that she would be revolted by, or worse, fear him. She had quickly belayed his fears and replaced them with a mixture of embarrassment and shock when she simply embraced him once more and kissed his left cheek.

Five years had past since that day, the best years of both of their lives, and Mewtwo and Laura were now the greatest of friends, both completing the other with their presence. Mewtwo, after much prodding, and her promising not to hate him at his request, finally revealed his past to her, the truth of exactly who and 'what' he was, how he was a living breathing weapon of mass destruction, how he had tried to destroy the world as she knew it, how he was now being hunted by a being she had mistakenly believed to be just and benevolent, and how said being and his followers sought to end his existence, permanently... Mewtwo told her everything.

Laura remembered just how vulnerable Mewtwo looked after he revealed the truth about his past to her; he had really believed that she would hate him for what he was, and what he had tried to do.

However, Laura had proven the young psychic wrong once again when she had slowly walked over to his seated form, laid her hand upon his cheek and given the suddenly very red faced feline his first, albeit innocent and chaste, first kiss. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone else in the entire world, she hadn't doubted his word then and she never would.

Mewtwo had become 'The Shadowed Avenger' a little over a year later, and she had helped him every step of the way, though they never mentioned that kiss again, she knew Mewtwo was far too innocent and inexperienced back then. However, now Mewtwo had a little more life experience, Laura couldn't help but wish for them to become more than 'just friends'.

Yes, the rabbit Pokemon had fallen for the dark yet honourable psychic type, and **hard**, but who could blame her? Mewtwo was the sweetest, most loving and compassionate guy she had ever met! Sure, he could seem cold at times, even around others that had earned his respect and trust, but none of them had seen the man that lay beneath that dark exterior. Only she had, especially on that night...

'This isn't helping anything' Laura thought ruefully as her kettle finally went 'Ping!', wordlessly pouring the boiling water into her favourite mug. Laura was more than aware that Mewtwo found her physically attractive, it wasn't that hard to work out from his ever present blush whenever she hugged him, sat beside him, flirted with him, or the big one, how he did a passable imitation of a tomato whenever she kissed his cheek, something she enjoyed very much.

Unfortunately she didn't know if he felt anything other than attraction for her, and whilst the idea of sleeping with Mewtwo gave her a pleasurable thrill everytime she thought about it, and she thought about it **alot**, she wanted his love, not just his lust...

'Oh, snap outta it, Girl! You're beginning to sound like some of the idiots on that 'Trisha' programme...' Laura mentally grumbled, trying to force her thoughts onto a more positive subject, a naughty grin gracing her lips as a mental image of Mewtwo tied to her bed minus his cloak came to mind, flashing that sinfully sexy smirk of his up at her.

'**MUCH** better' She mentally purred as she entered her lounge, plopping herself down on her black leather sofa with her hot chocolate in hand as her fantasy evolved into something rather more graphic.

'Tap tap!'

"Hmmm?" Laura murmured as her fantasy was interrupted by the unexpected sound, a smile quickly lighting up her graceful features as she turned to see the object of her fantasies 'hanging' around outside and requesting to be let inside by respectfully knocking on one of the two windows she had, despite her many attempts to get him to come in whenever he liked.

Mewtwo, in full 'Shadowed Avenger' 'guise no less, was half perched on her window ledge and half holding onto the building itself, the blinding blue light of his eyes quickly fading to reveal those gorgeous amethyst orbs that she had fallen in love with.

'_Evening Laura' _Mewtwo telepathically greeted her. _'Mind if I come in?'_

Laura couldn't help put smirk upon hearing the ever polite psychic's request, quickly placing her mug down on her coffee table before striding over to the window and sliding it open, flashing the tall shadow cloaked feline an only semi-playful flirtatious smile as he carefully slid through the narrow, for him anyway, opening before closing both it and the curtains.

"When have I 'ever' minded you coming over to my place, Mewtwo?" Laura mock enquired of the taller Pokemon before drawing him into a tight embrace, savouring the feeling of his broad muscular form pressed tightly up against her own, knowing that the tall psychic was blushing from the intimate contact even though she couldn't see his face, a fact which bugged her considerably.

"Come on, Mewtwo. Off with the shadows, I wanna see you, not everyone's favourite vigilante!" The older Pokemon joked. Joking aside though, Mewtwo knew that Laura wanted him to negate his 'cloak', she always asked him to be 'himself' when they were together, despite his rather feeble protests that, technically, he was still 'himself' even when hidden beneath shadows.

He did so reluctantly, the darkness that shrouded his body quickly dissipating until it vanished entirely, revealing both his tall cloak-clad feline form and his currently crimson stained cheeks, his pale grey fur doing very little to hide his blush.

"_As you wish, Laura." _Mewtwo said as his 'camouflage' faded into nothingness, unable to repress a small smile as he returned her embrace, wrapping his long arms around the Lopunny's waist for only a scant few moments.

"I've missed you." The shorter of the two stated, affectionately nuzzling her face into Mewtwo's broad chest, much to the embarrassment of the large feline, before finally releasing him and walking towards the kitchen, flashing him a grin over her shoulder. "I ordered pizza earlier, it's your favourite. Interested?"

That particular question widened the small smile upon Mewtwo's lips into a full blown grin, his smooth baritone voice now softer and less coarse than before with the removal of his shadowy disguise as he opened his mouth in order to respond to his alluring female companion, trying to work some moisture back into his mouth as he tried his best not to let his gaze linger on Laura's tempting backside.

"_Very much so, Laura. And thankyou, you're far too good to me." _

"Not at all, Mewtwo." She replied with a knowing smirk, noting how his gaze alternated between her face and her rear, partially obscured by her lab coat, for several seconds before he turned away in an attempt to focus his thoughts, his cheeks matching the colour of her wallpaper.

"So how'd tonight go?" Laura asked as she returned with the pizza in a box saying 'Dominos' on the side, setting it down on the table and offering Mewtwo a slice before plonking herself down on her sofa once more, patting the seat beside her as she took a slice for herself. "Same as usual?"

Laura's smile quickly fell as she saw Mewtwo frown, her contentment turning into apprehension with amazing rapidity as she opened her mouth in order to speak once again, concern lacing her words as she spoke.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"_No..."_ Mewtwo slowly began. _"But tonight didn't go as well as I'd hoped... The secret's out, Laura. 'The Shadowed Avenger' isn't just an urban legend anymore..."_


	7. Blending in, with a Difference

**Blending in, with a Difference**

Another holographic Dark-Type met it's end at Mewtwo's paws as the colossal Feline crushed the snarling Houndoom's windpipe with a swift jab, not bothering to watch the defeated Canine fade away in a faint glimmer of white light as he whirled around and smacked an attacking Charizard across the face with a powerful swipe of his long purple tail.

The youthful Psychic was using his usual training routine to take some time out to think upon the previous day's events, or more specifically, the fact that his alter ego was now the most publicised story in Kanto. According to Laura, who was exceptionally calm considering the enormity of what had occurred in the last twenty four hours, the proof of the Shadowed Avenger's existence was the **only** story being broadcast by every major news network.

'_Just what I need...' _Thought the tense young Cat as he parried the Charizard's vicious 'Slash' attack with a well employed elbow block, making sure to avoid the hologram's artificial yet still very much lethal claws before following up with a swift left hook that fractured the Fire-Type's non-existent jawbone.

'_With my secret out, things are bound to get much more dangerous for me on patrol... And there's no conceivable way to make it appear a hoax with so many witnesses... Not to mention the authorities will now attempt to 'bring me to justice'...'_

Mewtwo inwardly snorted at that thought as he snapped the draconic lizard's neck with a single fluidic movement, believing that no Human could, or ever would be able to defeat him in combat, trainer or no.

'_Humans... I'll never understand them...'_He concluded as he finished off his remaining holographic opponent, a lone Hitmonlee, with a couple of quick jabs followed by a crude, yet effective roundhouse kick to it's left side, splintering it's ribs and rupturing it's spleen. Well, if the Hitmonlee were real at any rate.

Mewtwo's free time consisted of little else other then honing his skills, save for spending time with Laura of course, in the training room that the aforementioned Rabbit had built for him as a gift a little over ten years back. The large oval shaped room, if it could be called it a room, was on a hidden level beneath Laura's complex. At forty feet wide by fifty feet long, with a ceiling over twenty feet from the floor, the room was far from small. Though spacious, it was perhaps not the most welcome of rooms; it was made up completely of titanium and was a lifeless dull grey in colour. What made this training room so special however, was the technology that Laura had installed in it's construction. The room featured one of Laura's most incredible technological breakthroughs, one that she had not made public, nor had any intention of doing so. The room had more than a few of her 'unique' Holo-Emitters.

Though more basic devices were used throughout the world by others, Laura's Holo-Emitters were beyond what most people, and Pokemon for that matter, would be able to conceive. Instead of simply projecting moving holographic images, they were able to create **solid **holograms. Even of people or Pokemon. The potential of such technology was literally limitless!

Mewtwo was beyond grateful when Laura presented him with such a monumental gift. It enabled him to master and perfect his, at the time anyway, less then effective hand-to-hand skills. Up until then he had merely relied upon his superior speed and strength to combat criminals. That, and his natural talent to pick up on things rather quickly, was all that gave him an edge in the early days of his career as the Shadowed Avenger.

Once Laura had given him the 'Holo-room', as she liked to call it, he was able to expand his physical combat skills, learning better ways to bring down his enemies, cataloguing the physical weaknesses of Humans and many different types of Pokemon, as well as ways of incapacitating his foes with both lethal and non-lethal force from the programs that Laura had installed. Programs which Laura dutifully continued to update and improve upon even to this day.

Mewtwo learned a great deal from the art of Ninjutsu, it's employment of concealment and stealth proved invaluable once the already formidable Psychic had mastered them. However, believing the assassin style of combat that Ninjutsu employed to be better suited for stealth and concealment rather than an actual fight, Mewtwo decided to stick with what he already knew.

Whilst Mewtwo's lightning swift blows and agile blocks looked like a martial art of some form, they were merely improvisation on the young Psychic's behalf. Mewtwo was built to be the best; he was a weapon, pure and simple. While his moves lacked precise technique and the discipline that comes with it, the battered state of the tall Feline's many enemies were proof that they were effective nonetheless.

With his workout completed, Mewtwo paused to take in a deep breath. Calming himself after such an intense session. The tall Feline had been at it for the last two hours, having arisen before dark as per usual. His insomnia had been kinder to him than the day before; he had been able to have a full six hours of uninterrupted sleep, something the young Psychic rarely received, after Laura had insisted that he stay the night.

'_Ugh, damned hormones...' _Mewtwo complained as his thoughts took a sudden nosedive into the proverbial 'gutter', his increasingly rebellious mind making an unwelcome connection between Laura and the bed that he slept in a few hours previous, resulting in an irritated yet flustered growl from the flushed Feline as he forced said thought/daydream to the back of his mind, along with that annoying voice in the back of his head, which 'ironically' chose this moment to pipe up in an annoying singsong voice.

'_So, how long does it take for that body of yours to fully mature? Oh wait, that's right... No idea, seeing as you killed your creators, who might've been able to answer that for you... So, you've got one choice; Get over yourself and screw the rabbit, Dumbass!' _

The now considerably disturbed Psychic shook his head with considerable force, his eyes wide and his heart racing as he mentally vowed never to watch the television again, recognising the voice from a rather lewd advert that popped up in the commercial break whilst he and Laura sat down to watch a film one time. True to form, Mewtwo was sufficiently mortified enough to pretend a crime was taking place on the other side of the city! Forgoing using the window entirely as he instead teleported from where he sat, trying to keep his features schooled into a serious look, whilst also trying to ignore Laura's knowing smirk!

"_Oh joy..." _Mewtwo sarcastically intoned aloud. _"The Mating Season rears it's unwelcome head AGAIN... Just great..." _

The irritated Feline growled deep in the base of his throat as he turned towards the door, suddenly recalling that Laura wanted to show him something after he was done in here. As he neared the rectangular doorway, he recalled the memories/hell of last year's mating season, and the ones before it, feverantly hoping that such events would not occur this year as he spoke once more, addressing the computer this time as he passed through the already opening door.

"_End program."_

* * *

"Zaraki...? Zaraki...? Earth to the silent blue one, can you hear me?"

Yoruichi was NOT a happy woman as she sat beside her disturbingly silent companion within the waiting room of Viridian's Police Dept, her already foul temper growing steadily worse as she stared irritably at the depressingly plain blue walls either side of her, shooting Zaraki a particularly venomous glare as she tried for what felt like the twentieth time that evening to get his attention.

"Damn it, Zaraki. You sure picked a fine time to meditate didn't you?"

The oddly silent Lucario in question was indeed meditating as he sat crossed legged upon the seat to the right of his irate companion, his usually bright red eyes firmly closed with a faint silvery shimmer surrounding his short form, his Aura sensing appendages standing at full attention either side of his head as he mentally reached out into the Aura.

"Tch." Came Yoruichi's dismissive snort, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest as she glanced around to something to occupy her time, frowning irritably as she came up short and instead settled down for what looked to be a long wait.

* * *

Laura's brow was furrowed as she sat slightly hunched over her desk, a small but expensive looking grey cylindrical device in her right hand and what looked like a slightly outsized watch in her left.

'Careful... Just have to connect the field generator to the battery and it'll be finished.' The young Rabbit thought as she expertly angled what turned out to be a small laser into the odd looking watch's unusually extensive circuitry, carefully connecting the two components with a thin blue beam of energy.

Setting the laser to one side, Laura positively beamed as she closed the top part of the watch with an audible 'snap'. A deep black lined with a rich amethyst, the watch was certainly rather large but not overtly spectacular, at least not to the untrained eye...

With an exaggerated sweeping gesture, Laura quickly rose and bowed to an invisible audience with the watch clasped firmly in hand, grinning broadly like the Glameow that swallowed the Pidgey.

"Thankyou, ladies and gentlemen, thankyou for coming to bear witness to the greatest technical breakthrough of this century! Laura proudly proclaimed, punching the hand which held the watch into the air with a flourish. "Not only have I made history, not only have I proven wrong just about every other scientist out there... But on top of that, I have created a device which will allo-!"

"_Laura,-"_ Interrupted a rather amused sounding deep voice from the doorway now directly behind the young Lopunny, whom had just frozen to the spot like a Stantler in the headlights, _"-what are you doing?"_

Moving with all the speed of an asthmatic Snorlax, a now scarlet Laura turned to find Mewtwo leaning against the doorway with his arms folded over his chest, a clearly amused smirk plastered to his lips as he repeated his question when the aforementioned Lopunny wasn't forthcoming.

"Uhh... I... I was..." Laura stammered as she tried frantically to think up some sort of rational answer to the big Cat's query, failing miserably as her cheeks darkened further as if to heighten her humiliation, her arms lowering themselves to her sides in defeat.

"I was talking to the air. Happy?" The blushing Lopunny admitted with a sigh.

"_Ecstatic."_ The now grinning Feline replied, his amethyst eyes twinkling down at her in barely repressed mirth.

"Yes, good for you." Laura said before clearing her throat, eager for a change in topic. A wish that Mewtwo granted the red faced Rabbit as he noticed the 'watch' clasped tight in her hand.

"_What's that?"_

Grateful for the change in the conversation, Laura grinned before holding out the oversized watch to the big Cat's curious gaze, letting him take in the device's slightly unusual characteristics as she began to explain.

"This Mewtwo, is the breakthrough of the century. Say hello to the world's first and only Image Inducer!"

* * *

"Found him." Zaraki suddenly proclaimed, surprising the almost asleep Yoruichi to his right as he quickly got up off his chair and strode purposefully towards the door without a backwards glance.

"Mmmh, Say what?" The tired Aura master groaned in response, sleepily rubbing her eyes as Zaraki paused at the door and turned towards her, an unusually impatient twinkle in his ever alert gaze. "You've been out for hours, Zaraki. They still haven't discharged us yet, so we can't go anywhere. And found who?"

"Who else?" Zaraki chuckled, noting his friend's tired demeanour abruptly vanish at his words, her golden eyes widening as she pointed an accusing finger at him, her tone disbelieving.

"You didn't...?

"I did." Zaraki innocently intoned. "Now come along, Sub Commander. It's time we go and properly introduce ourselves to our 'dark' friend in need." He finished cryptically, doubtlessly being cautious in case they were overheard, before he turned on his heel and strode through the door, ignoring the complaints of the officer who insisted that he sit back down.

Yoruichi bite back a grin before hurrying after her friend and mentor, shaking her head in bemusement as Zaraki pretended to be deaf and told the now goggle-eyed officer that it was time for bingo and if he wanted a lollipop he'd best behave himself!


End file.
